The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-02-25
HOW GAN 1T RE STOPPEDt
THE MORPHlA HABIT GROWING
AMONG THE PEOPLE.
How the DRUG is Used, and What a Druggist
Has to Say About the Vice.

1t was in the window of an instru-
ment makers shop "a handsomely
wr0uCh; silver box that, from it's shape
and general appearance, might pass as
a receptacle for matches or for snuff.
That it was not intended for either pur-
pose was evident from the articles sur
rounding it. A question addressed to
the man at work behind the counter
brought aim to the window, where adj
jus ing his spectacles more firmly on
his nose. he finally succeeded in discov-
ering the novelty referred to, and drew
it out with hook-rod." This" he said,
sis one of the newest inventions, and
though it be but small thing the
price is big thing, or would be to
some people Do you know, sir" he
continued, "that this little trinket is
worth 500? And tiny as it is it can do
more damage than it's innocent looks
imply. This is a morphia case, and
though we do sell few to doctors, the
great number of sales are to people who
are addicted to the morphia habit. This
little spring on the bottom Of the box
opens the lid without the slightest noise,
and 10y pressing it again when closing
it will produce a similar result" Here
he gave short exhibition of how
noiselessly the act of opening or closing
it might be done. "Now, you know, a
doctor would not especially desire such
case. but with the people who have
formed this habit it is essential that in
indulging in it they should not be no.
ticed by others. AS it is frequently
necessary for them to apply it when on
the street. or while travelling in the cars,
we must comply with their wishes and
make these cases and their contents as
harmless and innocent in appearance
as possible. We have adopted the sill
yer matchbox shape and this noiseless
catch, on this account. "In this first
compartment" the Instrument mixer
continued, as he pointed to the first of
the three parts into which the box was
divided, the wires for pointing the in
jector are kent, in the second is small
vial Of morphia, in the third is q llinty
little silver injector, which looks more
like a pencil case than the harmful
thing it is. Now, sir, you see how easily
man can put the desired quantity into
the injector at home, and when outside
how easily he can puncture hisskin and
inject the drug" This little lecture
upon the quaint instrument aroused
the curiosity of the reporter, and ON his
way home, late at night, he stopped at
a well-know drugstore, on pro ninent
street, to ask something about the drug
itself. There he learned that the usual
amount used by physicians in their
practice, when necessity for hypoder-
mic injection of morphia occurred, was
from one-fourth to one-eighth of
grain; that the drug was really the &C
tive principle of opium, and that it's
indulgence as habit was extremely
dangerous, eventually fatal, and that it
was also very costly habit. "The class
of people" said the experienced clerk,
"who are frequently found, through
sudden deaths or accidents that expose
the TRUTH to have been addicted to NOR
phia are mostly men who are living in
high pressure style. The lower class,
and in fact many of the upper class Of
society, and professional people are
forming this habit. knew promi-
nent druggist in the eastern states who
used it steadily for years, and when he
died suddenly from it's effects his arms
and legs were found to be literally
blackened where the skin had been
punctured while using the injector.
Every night some one comes here for
it. We sell greater amount to ladies,
and mostly young ladies, than to men.
Who they are, or to what class they be-
long, 1 cannot tell, as they only go Mt
intervals to one store and in this bust
ness curiosity would be a bad fault.
at is hard to tell just how much one
who has become habituated to this drug
can stand, as it depends mainly upon
the length of time they have been in
dulging in it. That is true in every
habit, and the longer they use it the more
is necessary to affect them. The habit
is evidently growing, and it may some
day need legislation to prevent it from
becoming as popular as the use of opium